Rail-joint.



No. 807,851. PATBNTED DEC. 19, 1905. A. T. MOELHANEY.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. s, 1905.

NITED STATES PATENT crimen.I

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed September 9, 1905. Seria-l Nol 277,724.

To tu wiz/0m, t may concern:

Be it known that I, AMCIAH T. MCELHANEY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Bradys Bend, in the county ol' Armstrong and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a speciication, reference'being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rail-joints; and the invention has for its object to provide a novel form of rail support and fastener for securing the confronting ends of two sections of rails together.

My improved rail-joint embodies a chair adapted to support the confronting ends of the rails. The one side of the chair is formed at an angle to the opposite side, whereby a wedge-shaped fish-bar may be inserted in the chair to clamp the rails therein. Novel means is employed for locking the wedge-shaped fishbar within the chair, also means for preventing longitudinal displacement j of the rails supported by the chair.

The detail construction of my improved rail-joint will be hereinafter more fully described, and reference will now be had to the drawings accompanying this application, wherein I have illustrated the essential features of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my irnproved rail-joint. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the chair employed in connection with ajoint. Fig. 8 is a similar view of a lishbar. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the joint, illustrating the means employed for fastening the fish-bar within the chair. Fig. 4 is an end view of the fish-bar. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of my improved joint, and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the sh-bar.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

To put my invention into practice, I employ a chair 1, consisting` ot' a base-plate 2, the one side of which is providedwith an integral fish-bar 8 of a conventional form capable of embracing` the one side ot' the ordinary type of rail. Between the tlanged portion 4: of the fish-bar 8 and the base ot' the chair are formed inwardly-extending lugs 5 5, these lugs being preferably located near the center of the chair. The lugs are adapted to prevent longitudinal displacement of the rails supported by the chair, and to accomplish this I provide the one side of the base-flanges 6 6 of the rails 7 7 with recesses 8 8, adapted to receive the lugs 5 5 ot' the chair and prevent the rails from becominglongitudinally displaced,but at the same time permitting sufficient movement for expansion and contraction ot' said rails. The opposite side of the base-plate 2 of the chair is provided with an u pwardly-extending angularly-disposed side wall 9, which is formed at an oblique angle to the base of the chair, thus providing a tapering seat within the chair for the rails7 7 and a fish-bar 10, which will be presently described. The upper edge 11 of the side wall 9 is flanged inwardly at substantially right angles to the side wall 9. Adjacent to each end otl the upper edge l1 of the side wall 9 is formed a groove 12, which terminates in an angularly-disposed opening 14, formed in the side wall 9 of the chair 1. The object of these openings will be presently described. At the juncture of the side wall 9 and the base-plate 2 of the chair is formed a longitudinelly-disposed groove 15, which is adapted to limit the movement of the fish-bar 10, which is mounted in the chair.

The sh-bar employed in connection with the chair and rails just described consists of a web portion 16 and a llanged portion 17, which carries an enlarged tapering rib 18. The formation of the rib 18 provides a depending V-shaped tlange 19, adapted to engage in the groove 15 of the chair 1. The upper edge ot' the rib 18 adjacent to its ends is provided with recesses 20 20, these recesses being of a greater width than the grooves 12 of the chair.

lVhen two rails are to be secured within the chair 1, the rails are placed Atherein prior to placing the fish-bar 10 within the chair. In Fig. L of the drawings I have illustrated the manner in which the rails are locked within the chair and prevented from becoming longitudinally displaced, it being obvious that the lugs 5 5 of the chair engage the basetlanges 6 6 of the rails. In order to retain the rails within the chair, the fish-bar 10 is placed in the chair between the side wall 9 and the rails 7 7. To accomplish this, it is necessary to slide the {ish-bar 10 into the chair at one end thereof, and as the side wall 9 is at an angle to the longitudinal base of the chair the rib 18 of the fish-bar 10 will impinge between the rails 7 7 and the side wall 9. In the operation of placing the fish-bar in posi- IOO shaped keys 21 are then employed for lock? `ing the fish-bar 10 within the chair, these keys ybeing passed upwardly through the openings 14 of the chair until they engage in the recesses 2O of the {ish-bar and the grooves 12 of thel chair, at which time the upper ends of the keys are bent upon the upper edge 11 ofthe side wall 9, yas designated at 22 in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings. In this manner it will be impossible for the fish-bar to become detached from the chair, and the web portion 16 and flanged portion 17 ofthe fish-bar will rmly retain the rails 7 7 inengagement with the fish-bar 3 of the chair, at the same time permitting sucient movement of the rails, owing to the expansion and contraction of the material from which they are formed. As the fish-bar 10 is tapering in form and a seat is formed in connection with the chair to accommodate the same, it will be possible to adjust the bar within the chair in case the same should become worn by the continual stress exerted upon the same by the rolling-stock passing over the rails, and when any adjustment of the bar is to be made it will not be necessary to remove the keys 21 on account of sufficient movement of the bar being permitted by the recesses 2O being of a greater width than the grooves 12 Aof the chair 1.

being manufactured at a comparatively small cost.

It will be noted that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

IVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rail-joint, the combination with two sections of rails, of a chair adapted to support said rails, a fish-bar carried by one side of said chair, lugs carried adjacent to said'tish-bar and adapted to engage said rails, a side wall carried by the opposite side of said chair, said side wall having' openings formed therein, said chair having agroove formed therein, a wedgeshaped fish-bar adapted to engage said side wall and said rails, a rib carried by said fishbar and adapted to engage in the groove of said chair, keys passing through said side wall and engaging said fish-bar, means to lock said keys in said side wall, substantially as described.

2. In a rail-joint, a chair comprising a baseplate having at one side edge an integral shplate adapted to engage rails seated on the base-plate, and at its other side edge having a sh-plate of integral form in cross-section ernbodying an outwardly-inclined side Wall and an inwardly-inclined side wall, a base-plate having a groove adjacent the base of said outwardly-inclined side wall, a fish-plate adapted to t between rails seated on the base-plate and said side walls, and having a rib extending the length of said plate and seated in the groove, said rib engaging the edge of the railbase, and means for securing said fish-plate to the said angular Walls.

In testimony whereotl I allx my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

AMCIAH T. MCELHANEY. Witnesses:

W. H. EYNoN, y A. A. ELLENBERGER. 

